Traveling valve



Q ATTORNEY 0 4 5 3 awa Feb. 20, 1934. J. ANDERSON Er AL TRAVELING VALVE Fil'ed May l0, 1930 Patented Feb. 20, 1934 TRAVELING VALVE John L. Anderson yand John C. Wells, Burkburnett, Tex., assignors to Magnolia Petroleum y Company, Dallas, Tex.

, a corporation of Texas Application May 10, 1930. Serial No. 451,214

9 Claims. (Cl. 10s-2201 This invention relates to pumps, more particularly to pumps adapted to remove oil and the like from wells, and especially to traveling or pumping valves adapted to operate in the working barrels of such pumps.

Heretofore, in oil pumps, particularly those which havebeen used to pump oil containing floating sand and other foreign matter from wells, the arrangement or construction of the traveling or pumping valves adapted to operate in the working barrels of the pumps has generally been such that it has been necessary to frequently remove the valves from the working barrels to `remove the sand trapped therein, this being due Y to the relatively small capacity of the sand traps provided in the valves, and to replace one or more of the valve oil cups which had, become prematurely worn because of insufficient lubrication.

The frequency of these removals depended. of course, upon the particular construction of the traveling 'or pumping valves employed in thev pumps, butv it has generally been great enough to materially lower the efficiency of the pumps` with which they are. used and to increase the cost of maintenance and operation thereof.

This invention contemplates the provision of a traveling or pumping valve for a pump adapted to pump oil and the like containing floating sand or other foreign matter from wells, which is characterized by the fact that the valve is providedj with a relatively large chamber or trap in which the sandand the like is trapped, and b'y the fact that the valve oil cups are so arranged on the valve that the cup subjected to the greatest wear will be adequately lubricated to materially prolong its life, and when this cup finally wears and permits the passage of sand and the like thereby, another cup will prevent the accumulation of such foreign matter at points where its presence would be harmful to the valve and its parts, whereby the frequency of the removals of the Valves necessary for the replacement of worn Aoil cups and the removal of the sand trapped lpanying drawing forming a part of this speciflcation in which:l

Fig. 1 .is a view in elevation of a pumping or traveling valvev embodying the present invention, the valve being shown in a Working barrel' which is shown in section, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve and working barrel.

The objects ofthe invention are attained, in general, by causing therv oil and entrained sand to flow-from the working barrel directly into the sand trap in the valve and by causing the oil which is being pumped from the well to come in Contact with the interior wall of the working barrel both below and above the oil cup on the traveling valve subjected to the greatest wear.

Referring to the drawing, l0 represents a working barrel in which the traveling valve embodying the present invention is adapted to operate. The traveling valve comprises a connecting head 11, having a plurality of apertures 12 therein,

a section 13 having a plurality of apertures 14 .in the wall thereof, a tubular member 15 suitably connected to the section 13 and having a plurality of apertures 16 in the upper yportion thereof, as shown, a section 17 similar to section ``13 and having apertures l18 therein, a valve section 19 provided with a pin 20 arranged transversely thereof and a tubular member121. These partss are adapted to be ,threaded together as show-n, or connected by other suitable means.

As shown, a plurality of oil cups 22 are mount]- ed on tubular member 21, suitably spaced by spacer rings 23, and are retained won the fnember or otherwise. Valve section 19 has 2l by nuts 24, a ball valve 25 therein which is adapted to seat on seat 26 formed in the upperend of member to limit the upward 21, and pin`20 is adapted movement of the ball 25. As shown, an oil cup 27 is provided at the upper end of valve section 19 and an oil cup 28 is mounted on the traveling valve at the upper end of the tubular member 15.

The outside diameter of tubular member 15 is preferably sufficiently smaller than the inside diameter of the working b'arrel 10, to provide an annular space 29 between the working barrel and the tubular member as shown. Tubular member 29 together with section 17 form a sandtrap 30 in the valve. vA sucker rod 3l connects the traveling valve to a suitable vsource of power such as a walking beam or the like at the surface.

In the operation of the working valve, on the downward stroke thereof, oil from the well which has previously passed a standing valve (not shown) inthe working barrel, is forced into the lower part of the traveling valve through tubular member 21, past ball check valve 25 into section 17 and through apertures 18 therein into space l29. From the space 29, the oil and any entrained sand or other foreign matter is forced into sand trap 30 through aperture 16, where the greater part of the sand and the like will be separated from the oil and will settle in the bottom of the sand trap as at 32. From the sand trap 30, the oil is forced through apertures 14 in section 13 and through apertures 12 in connecting head l1 into the working barrel above the oil cup 28, whence it will be forced to the surface upon the upward stroke of the traveling valve, duringv the sand is prevented from accumulating on cup- 27 by reason .of the fact that the oil flowing through aperturesf18 willl dislodge any' sand which has laccumulated on that cup and carry it into the sand trap 30. And, since the oil is caused to ow from the working barrel directly into the sand trap 30, orv from the zone of the sand trap and exterior thereto rather than through the bottom o f the sand trap, as has heretofore generally been the case, the capacity of the sand trap is materially increased.

For thesereasons, it will be apparent that the a frequency of the removals of the traveling valve for replacement of worn oil cups and removal of the sand from the sand trap is greatly diminished and the general operating eiiiciency of the valve is increased.I n l Although the invention has been shown and described as particularly well adapted to the pumping of oil from wells, it is evident that it is equally well adaptable to the pumping of other liquids.

The form of the invention herein disclosed is to be considered as a preferred form only and it is understood that the invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is: Y 1. A traveling valve adapted to operatein a working barrel to pump oil from a well, said valve having a sand trap and a portion formed to provide a space between the valve and the working barrel, and means causing oil to ow into said space and from said spacey into the sand trap.

2. A traveling valve adapted lto operate in av working barrel to pump `oil from a well, said valve having a sand trap formedrto provide a space between the working barrel and the wall of the sand trap, and means causing oil t'o flow from said space into the sand trap.

3. A traveling valve adapted to operate in a working barrel to pump oil from a well, said valve having spaced oil cups, a sand trap between the cups, the wall of the sand trap being formed to provide a spaceo between the working barrel and said wall, and means causing oil to flow from the working barrel below said valve into said space and from saidspace into the sand trap.

'4. A traveling valve adapted to operate in a working barrel to pump oil from a well, said valve having spaced oil cups, a sand trap intermediate the oil cups, the wall of the' sand trap being formed to provide a space between the working barrel and the said wall, the valve having an' aperture and a passage below the sand trap and an aperture in the wall of the sand trap, whereby oilis forced from the working barrel below the valve into said passage, throughv the first mentioned aperture into said space and from said space through the second mentioned aperture into the sand trap.

5. A traveling valve adapted to operate in a working barrel to pump liquid from a well, said valve having a sand trap spaced -within the working barrel and `having an annular free space;

exterior to the sand trap, the wall of the sand trap having a plurality of apertures thereinlthrough the apertures.

6. A traveling valve adapted to operate in a working barrel to pump oil from a well, said valve having spaced oil cups, a sand trap intermediate the oil cups, the wall of the sand trap being formed to provide a space between the working barrel and the said wall, the valve having a plurality of apertures and a passage below the sand trap anda plurality of apertures in the wall of the sand trap, wherebyoil is forced from the .working barrel below the valve into said passage, through the first mentioned apertures into said space and from said space through the 'second mentioned apertures into the sand trap.

7. A traveling valve adapted to operate in a working barrel to pump liquid from a well, comprising spaced portions, each having a'passage therein and an oil cup adapted to engage the interior, of the working barrel, and a sand trap intermediate said spaced portions, the wall of the sand trap being formed to provide a space between the trap and the working barrel, one of said portions having an aperture through which liquid ows from said portion into said space and the wall of said trap having an aperture through which liquid ows from said space into the sand trap. y

8. A traveling Valve adapted to operate in a l working barrel to pump "liquid from a well comprising lower, upper and intermediate portions, the lower and upper portions each having a passage therein and an oil cup adapted to engage the interior 'of the working barrel, said lower portion having a check valve controlling the passage therein, the intermediate portion comprising a sand trap, the wall of which is spaced ving an aperture connecting the passage therein therein and an oil-cup mounted thereon adapted to engage the interior of the working barrel, the lower portion having a check valve adapted to control the passage therethrough, the intermediate portion of Athe Valve comprising a sand trap formed to provide a space between the wall of the sand trap and the working barrel, said space extending between the oil cups on the upper and lower portions, the lower portion having an aperture through which liquid is adapted to iigw from the passage therein into said space, l'

the wall of the sand trap having an aperture therein `adjacent the 'upper portion thereof and adjacent the oil cup on the said upper portion through which aperture liquid is adapted to pass from said space into the sand trap.

JOHN L. ANDERSON. JOHN C. WELLS. 

